orthomode transducers (OMTs) and methods of fabricating OMTs are disclosed. According to disclosed embodiments, an OMT includes a housing defining an internal waveguide. The housing may be composed of a first cast housing member attached to a second cast housing member. The first housing member may include a first side of the waveguide that is cast into the first housing member. The second housing member may include a second side of the waveguide that is cast into the second housing member. A method of fabricating an OMT may include arranging at least one casting insert in at least one mold, casting the housing in the mold and casting a waveguide in the housing using the at least one casting insert. The disclosed devices and methods provide cost effective solutions for fabricating OMTs of various operating frequencies that share a substantially similar outer housing shape and size.
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8. An apparatus, comprising:
first and second housing member portions configured to form, when joined together, first and second waveguides configured to guide first and second orthogonal modes of a radio-frequency (RF) signal along respective first and second orthogonal paths, the first path running from a first waveguide aperture to a third waveguide aperture, and the second path running from a second waveguide aperture to the third waveguide aperture, the first and second paths each including at least one bend and lying entirely in a same plane.
1. A communications system comprising an orthomode transducer, the transducer comprising:
a cast housing comprising first, second and third ports having respective first, second and third waveguide apertures lying in a plane, a first arm extending between said first and third ports in a first direction and a second arm extending between said second and third ports in a second different direction, and a central portion attached to the first arm and to the second arm and comprising the third port; and
a cast waveguide within the housing, wherein the cast waveguide comprises a first waveguide branch, a second waveguide branch and a third waveguide branch forming a continuous open path connecting said first, second and third ports, said first waveguide branch coupled to the first waveguide aperture and configured to support transmission of signals having a first polarization, said second waveguide branch coupled to the second waveguide aperture and configured to support transmission of signals having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization, and
said third waveguide branch coupled to the third waveguide aperture in the third plane, and coupled to the first waveguide branch and the second waveguide branch, wherein the third waveguide branch is configured to support transmission of signals having the first polarization and signals having the second polarization.
6. A communications system comprising an orthomode transducer, the transducer comprising:
a cast comprising first, second and third ports having respective first, second and third waveguide apertures lying in a plane, a first arm extending between said first and third ports in a first direction and a second arm extending between said second and third ports in a second different direction, and a central portion attached to the first arm and to the second arm and comprising the third port; and
a cast waveguide within the housing, wherein the cast waveguide comprises a first waveguide branch, a second waveguide branch and a third waveguide branch forming a continuous open path connecting said first, second and third ports, said first waveguide branch coupled to the first waveguide aperture insert and configured to support transmission of signals having a first polarization,
said second waveguide branch, in a second plane that is substantially parallel to the first plane, coupled to the second waveguide aperture insert and configured to support transmission of signals having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization, and
said third waveguide branch coupled to the third waveguide aperture insert, and coupled to the first waveguide branch and the second waveguide branch, wherein the third waveguide branch is configured to support transmission of signals having the first polarization and signals having the second polarization.
4. A method of fabricating an orthomode transducer, comprising:
arranging a plurality of diagonally separated casting inserts in at least one mold;
casting a housing in the at least one mold comprising casting a first arm extending in a first direction and comprising a first port defining a first waveguide aperture insert, casting a second arm extending in a second different direction and comprising a second port defining a second waveguide aperture insert, and casting a central portion attached to the first arm and the second arm, and comprising a third port defining a third waveguide aperture insert; and
casting a separate waveguide in each of the casting inserts comprising casting a first waveguide branch a second waveguide branch and a third waveguide branch forming a continuous open path connecting said first, second and third ports, said first waveguide branch coupled to the first waveguide aperture insert, and configured to support transmission of signals having a first polarization, said second waveguide branch, coupled to the second waveguide aperture insert and configured to support transmission of signals having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization, and said third waveguide branch coupled to the third waveguide aperture, and coupled to the first waveguide branch and the second waveguide branch, wherein the third waveguide branch is configured to support transmission of signals having the first polarization and signals having the second polarization, the first, second and third apertures lying in the same plane.
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As known to those in the art of microwave radio communications, an orthomode transducer (OMT) is a three-port device which can be used to separate and/or combine orthogonally polarized signals. The OMT is often used to receive signals of a first polarization and transmit signals of a second polarization. The OMT includes a housing that defines a waveguide including a first waveguide branch, a second waveguide branch coupled to the first waveguide branch, and a third waveguide branch coupled to the first and second waveguide branches. The first waveguide branch is configured to enable propagation of a signal having the first polarization. The second waveguide branch is configured to enable propagation of a signal having the second polarization. The third waveguide branch is configured to enable propagation of a signal having either the first polarization or the second polarization.
Microwave radio communication systems can operate over a wide range of frequencies (from 5 GHz to 80 GHz, for example). It is therefore necessary to provide OMTs that operate over many different frequencies. Because the size and/or configuration (e.g., shape) of the waveguide in an OMT varies with frequency, traditionally, several OMTs with differently sized waveguides need to be provided to cover all of the frequencies required for certain applications.
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The assembly 10 is relatively expensive to manufacture, as it employs two parts (the frame 20 and the OMT 30), and machining of the OMT 30 (particularly, the waveguide) is expensive. Additionally, the assembly 10 is customer/application specific and, therefore, the frame 20 must be configured differently for each customer/application.
In view of the above, it is desirable to provide cost-effective methods of manufacturing OMTs having a wide range of operating frequencies. It is further desirable to provide OMTs that have a substantially consistent outer housing shape and size regardless of operating frequency.
The disclosure relates to orthomode transducers (OMTs) for microwave radio antennas, and methods of fabricating OMTs. According to an embodiment of the invention, an OMT may include a cast housing and a cast waveguide in the housing. The cast waveguide may include: a first waveguide branch coupled to a first waveguide aperture and configured to support transmission of signals having a first polarization; a second waveguide branch coupled to a second waveguide aperture and configured to support transmission of signals having a second polarization opposite the first polarization; and a third waveguide branch coupled to a third waveguide aperture, the first waveguide branch and the second waveguide branch, wherein the third waveguide branch is configured to support transmission of signals having the first polarization and signals having the second polarization.
According to another embodiment, a method of fabricating an OMT includes arranging at least one casting insert in at least one mold, casting a housing in the at least one mold, and casting a waveguide in the housing using the at least one casting insert.
The OMTs and methods of manufacturing OMTs disclosed herein provide cost-effective and efficient solutions for providing OMTs having different waveguide configurations, but having housings of substantially uniform size and shape. Additional features and advantages will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the following detailed description and appended drawings.
The following description discloses novel orthomode transducers (OMTs) and novel methods of fabricating OMTs. The OMTs described herein are suitable for use in microwave radio communication devices, such as a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) antennas for satellite communications and terrestrial microwave radio antennas, for example. The OMTs disclosed herein may be configured to receive signals of a first polarization and transmit signals of a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization. Alternatively, the OMTs may be configured to transmit signals of first and second polarizations or receive signals of first and second polarizations.
In the following description and associated drawings, reference numbers and characters repeated between the various embodiments indicate similar components and features. Throughout the description, reference is made to various directions, such as “horizontal”, “horizontally”, “vertical”, “vertically”, “diagonal” and “diagonally.” These terms are used to reference directions relative to an OMT in a typical position for use. However, it should be understood that such directional terms are relative terms used to facilitate understanding of the devices as shown in the appended drawings, and are not intended to be limiting. Further, the use of the word “includes” in the following description is meant to be non-limiting. When the word “includes” is used to describe the inclusion of a component or feature, it should be understood that the specific component described is non-limiting, and there may be other equivalent components or features that fall within the scope of the invention. Alternatively, the inclusion of the component may be optional. It may be appropriate to interpret the word “includes” as meaning “may include,” depending on the context of the discussion.
It should be further understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, the elements should not be limited by these terms. Such terms are used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of disclosed embodiments. It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected”, “coupled” or “attached” to another element, it may be directly connected, coupled or attached to the other element, or intervening elements may be present, unless otherwise specified. Additional words used to describe connective or spatial relationships between elements or components (e.g., “between”) should be interpreted in a like fashion.
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According to an embodiment, the first radio 310 may be a receiver and the second radio 320 may be a transmitter, or vice-versa. According other embodiments, both radios 310, 320 may be transmitters or both radios 310, 320 may be receivers.
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In order to improve fabrication efficiency and reduce fabrication costs, the OMT 200 may be fabricated by a method including casting the housing 202. According to an exemplary method, the first housing member 220 may be cast in a first mold and the second housing member 240 may be cast in a second mold. Alternatively, the first and second housing members 220, 240 may be cast in the same mold. The first and second sides 210a, 210b of the waveguide 210 may be cast in the housing members 220, 240, respectively, by arranging one or more casting inserts in the mold(s). The one or more casting inserts may be arranged, sized and shaped as desired to produce the desired arrangement, size and shape of the first and second sides 210a, 210b of the waveguide 210. Thus, the operating frequency of OMTs 200 can be varied by simply using different casting inserts, while using the same housing mold(s). If the sides 210a, 210b of the waveguide 210 are cast from a non-conductive material, they may be coated with a conductive material after casting. After casting the housing members 220, 240, the housing members 220, 240 may be attached to each other such that the first and second sides 210a, 210b of the waveguide 210 are aligned with each other and interface with each other to form the waveguide 210.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the first and second radios 610, 620 may be receivers and the third radio 630 may be a transmitter, or vice-versa. According other embodiments, all three radios 610, 620, 630 may be receivers or all three radios 610, 620, 630 may be transmitters. The OMT 500 may be configured to receive signals of a first polarization and transmit signals of a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization. Alternatively, the OMT 500 may be configured to transmit signals of the first and second polarizations or receive signals of the first and second polarizations.
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The first and second waveguide apertures 532, 552 are illustrated in
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The configuration of the OMT 500 provides a compact structure and enables mounting of the radios 610, 620, 630 in close proximity to a reflector. According to an embodiment, the OMT 500 may be arranged in an antenna such that the first arm 502b and the second arm 502c lie within a substantially vertical plane, thereby positioning the first port 530 vertically above the second port 550 (or vice-versa), as shown in
The OMT 500 may be fabricated by a method including casting the housing 502. According to an exemplary method, the first housing member 520 may be cast in a first mold and the second housing member 540 may be cast in a second mold. According to another alternate embodiment, the first and second housing members 520, 540 may be cast in the same mold. The first and second sides 510a, 510b of the waveguide 510 may be cast in the respective housing members 520, 540 by arranging one or more casting inserts in the mold(s). The one or more casting inserts may be arranged, sized and shaped as desired to produce the desired arrangement, size and shape of the first and second sides 510a, 510b of the waveguide 510. Accordingly, the operating frequency of OMTs 500 can be varied by using different casting inserts, while using the same housing mold(s). If the sides 510a, 510b of the waveguide 510 are cast from a non-conductive material, they may be coated with a conductive material after casting. After casting the housing members 520, 540, the housing members 520, 540 may be attached to each other such that the first and second sides 510a, 510b of the waveguide 510 are aligned with each other and interface with each other to form the waveguide 510.
The disclosed inventions provide OMTs that are efficient and cost-effective to manufacture. The disclosed methods of fabricating OMTs by casting OMT housings and waveguides enable OMTs of various operating frequencies to be produced without substantially changing the casting mold(s). Therefore, the cost of producing OMTs may be reduced, and the outer form (e.g., shape and size) of the OMT housings for OMTs of various frequencies may be substantially the same.
It should be understood that the devices and methods disclosed herein are merely exemplary embodiments of the invention. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that changes and variations to the disclosed embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions as set forth in the appended claims.
Chong, Yin-Shing, Casey, Peter, Zhang, Yunchi
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Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
May 30 2013 | CHONG, YIN-SHING | RADIO FREQUENCY SYSTEMS INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 030534 | /0901 | |
May 30 2013 | CASEY, PETER | RADIO FREQUENCY SYSTEMS INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 030534 | /0901 | |
May 30 2013 | ZHANG, YUNCHI | RADIO FREQUENCY SYSTEMS INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 030534 | /0901 | |
Jun 03 2013 | Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell Co., Ltd | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / | |||
Apr 27 2015 | Radio Frequency Systems, Inc | ALCATEL-LUCENT SHANGHAI BELL CO , LTD | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 035507 | /0816 |
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